Kansan convicted in phony casino chip case

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A 38-year-old Kansas man accused of passing more than $100,000 worth of counterfeit chips at a Missouri casino has been convicted on two federal charges.

A jury in Kansas City, Mo., returned the verdicts Monday against Zhe Li of Wichita, a naturalized U.S. citizen from China.

Li formerly lived in the Kansas City area. Prosecutors said he presented more than 1,000 counterfeit $100 chips at the Argosy Riverside Casino in late 2008.

The jury found Li guilty of evading federal reporting requirements by depositing proceeds from the scheme into checking accounts in small amounts. He was also convicted of lying about his assets in applying for food stamps for himself, his wife and two minor children.

Li faces up to 15 years in prison when he's sentenced sometime later.